When Milton Keynes Council proposed to close Stony Stratford Library a campaign was launched to save it. Friends of Stony Stratford Library suggested that the users might like to borrow all the books and empty the shelves in order to draw attention to the proposed closure.

The BBC covered the story and journalists from all corners of the world contacted FOSSL as the campaign to support this small library in Milton Keynes in north Buckinghamshire, UK, became the flag-ship for similar campaigns nationwide and abroad. In February 2011 Milton Keynes Council granted a stay of execution.